


Hearts Grow Fond With Distance

by Sillypanda123



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Stiles, Good Peter Hale, M/M, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Merman Stiles Stilinski, Multi, The fire never happened
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-23 04:05:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10711833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sillypanda123/pseuds/Sillypanda123
Summary: Stiles is a badass Southern Sea Prince who falls in love with an oblivious Derek. However, with his betrothed in town, the Red Sea Witch on a vengeful streak, and his ever looming coronation, what is Prince Stiles to do? Did I mention that his charge, the Kraken's offspring, keeps stealing Derek's things?Come along for a fun and adventurous ride.





	1. The Perfect Night

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story. I accept helpful critiques and suggestions. I hope that you all stick with me during this ride.
> 
> Side note:How do you make it so that the work does not say complete?

**Derek and His Brooding**

 “Cheer up, Derek.” His mother said exasperated. “ We’re at the beach, your favorite place.Everyone wanted to be here with you.”

The beach used to be Derek's favorite place as a child. He had loved the feeling of the hot sun on his back and the smell of sea salt pungent in the air.He remembered his sister, Laura, teaching him how to surf and building sand castles with his younger sister, Cora. At night the entire family would run in their wolf form up and down the beach. Playing tag and burrowing as deep as they could into the sand.

Now, the beach only served as a reminder of his second girlfriend, Kate. Kate was a monster, a viperous snake posing as nice young girl. They had met when he had gone into the local CO-OP looking for supplies to build a beach gazebo with is Uncle Peter. She had flirted with him in the most outlandish way. Posturing her butt as she picked up wood for him. Overly bending on top of the counter, she would flash her cleavage. His fifteen year old self was raging with hormones. He thought it was love at first sight.

They hung out on the beach, swam together, and at night they would gaze at the stars. Despite her sexual innuendos, it had started off so sweet. Kate was the perfect girlfriend. She had held his hand public, kissed his nose, and brushed his hair as they lay next to each other. She would whisper to him how happy she was to be with him.  After their first week, she had told him she loved him. Derek was already smitten.

As the summer months progressed on, Kate had started to subtly train him. At the time, young Derek was blind, but now he knew Kate was preying on him. It all started when Kate refused to hold his hand in public. She would deny him stating things like, " I need both hands to text" or "Holding hands is for babies. I thought you were more mature than that." He had obliged. In fifteen year old Derek’s mind,her reasons made sense. Her denials of simple things eventually progressed. She started making him sit on the floor when they were on her back porch. Her reason was that she wanted to play with his hair. She would feed him under her table and when they finally had sex, she wanted to collar him. 

Derek was scared when she tied him up and blind folded him. Despite him asking her to be gentle, Kate still tied him up and gagged him. She said that rope play was kinky and that all grown men liked it that way. She proceeded to edge him on and made him beg. It had hurt, but Derek thought that was what he needed to do as her boyfriend. Afterwards, Kate told him what a pretty Bitch he was and how much she loved taming young werewolves.

That made Derek freeze in terror.

The family hadn’t noticed Derek’s absence at first. Laura, at twenty, had gotten a summer job and was working long hours. Cora wanted nothing to do with Derek. At the beginning of that summer, Derek had called her a baby.  Cora in rage went to spend more time with Mama Hale. Cora shadowed her mother all that summer to learn how to become an Alpha. The rest of Derek’s family had spent the time doing various activities and since Derek was known to sometimes be broody, everyone left him alone. In fact, the only person who noticed was Peter.

Peter, the self-made billionaire, arrived two weeks before the end of their summer vacation. He had worked himself thin all summer and wanted some time to relax with the family. Upon arrival, everyone rushed to greet him. When they were done bombarding him with questions, he asked where Derek was. Peter would never admit it, but Derek was his favorite nephew.

No one could answer Peter. Sheepishly, one by one, everyone admitted that no one had seen him for two days. After Peter gave everyone a strong scolding, the family shifted to sniff out the missing Hale. Hours later, they found Derek whipped and chained to a wall. His wounds were packed with wolfbane. Unable to heal, Derek's blood soaked the surrounding area. 

Peter saw red.

Not even waiting for the family to free Derek, Peter went in search of whomever had done this to his nephew. He searched high and low for the pungent scent cloaking all the sex toys in the room. Whoever had done this, would pay. H would not stop looking.

Peter searched for his nephew's assailant the last few weeks. He would only stop to eat and scent mark Derek. Peter's searches came up empty and soon it was time to go back to Beacon Hills. On the last day, he had begged Derek to tell him any information about his assailant. Derek stayed silent. He refused to speak her name or describe what she looked like.

“I just want to forget.” Derek would say repeatedly when Peter pushed. After a year, Peter stopped pushing.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Now years later, Derek was back in this hell hole of a place. He sat on the back porch, brooding and frowning at the ocean. How had he ended up back here again?

Derek had opted to stay home with his Uncle Peter, but mysteriously his uncle had disappeared a week before the trip. Peter had only left a single note that said, “ I think I found a lead,” on Derek’s desk. Stuck with an over excited family who wanted to do nothing but be with him, Derek was forced to participate in every event. He figured this was their way of getting rid of their guilt. His Aunt Shelly and Aunt Janet made sure he had applied sunscreen every hour on the clock. His Uncle Percy made sure that he was included in the family volleyball tournament. He was coddled by his other Aunts and Uncles. Even the little kids who knew nothing of what happened had picked up on it. He didn’t really mind, but being with twenty younger cousins constantly begging for his attention, Derek was exhausted. So now, with everyone asleep, Derek could brood.

He thought about his road to recovery. He thought about his years in college. Derek thought about everything that had passed in the last six years. With a great therapist, Derek thought he was over that summer. Now in the quiet, he could do nothing but think about it. Frowning even further, Derek decided to go for a swim to clear his mind. After folding his clothes, Derek quickly shifted. Even though it was hot in the Gulf, the wind picked up at night.

The water felt great. After swimming against the waves for what seemed like an hour, Derek was now extremely sore. Now where the water was calm, a distance from the shore, he tipped his head back and floated along the surface. The moon was a crescent in the sky and Derek felt at peace.

Suddenly, something latched on to Derek and pulled him under. As Derek struggled against whatever had wrapped around his ankle, he could not help but think this was the end. He had told no one that he was leaving for a swim.

“ENOUGH!” A voice shouted somewhere above Derek. Suddenly, whatever had grabbed him, let go. Derek watched in silence as a tentacle slipped back into the eerie depth. Air bubbles began to surround him and pushed him more towards the surface.

Derek broke the surface with a gasp. “What was that?” He thought to himself.

“That was Chabani, daughter of the Kracken.” The voice Derek heard underwater said with an annoyed tone. “ Humans usually do not swim this far.”

Derek turned around to face the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Derek first noticed his eyes were more golden than the sun. His face was pale, almost grey, with moles littering it like craters in the moon. His lips were curved upwards, plump and full.  Derek thought he saw an angel. That was until his hero smirked, slowly showing off a wide row of shark like teeth.

“ Well, I can’t kill you after saving you.” His hero said playfully with a wink. "You’re lucky I can erase memories.”

“Wait!” Derek exclaimed. "Can I at least know your name?”

“Why? You won’t remember a thing?” Stiles said. “However, I am feeling generous. The merfolk around here call me Stiles.”

With Stiles on his lips, Derek saw Black.

 


	2. Chabani, The Escape Artist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I am looking for a Beta. If you are interested, let me know!

Stiles had called on the Southern Sea to whisk the strange human to shore. Once the human was out of sight, Stiles floated back down to berate his charge. 

“Chabani, you cannot grab humans and pull them under. They cannot breathe underwater. I’ve told you this multiple times. Remember what happened the last time you pulled someone under?” Stiles ranted.  
A loud grumble and whimper came from the over-sized octopus.

“That’s right they died.” Stiles said as he crossed his arms and continued to scold Chabani. “ I had to ask the Sharks to graciously eat the human to prevent it’s decaying toxicity. You know that the body could have poisoned that section of the reef. Do you have any idea how hard it was to convince them to eat human flesh? You know it gives them indigestion. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Short whistle like noises followed by a prolonged whimper vibrated through the water.

“I will only accept your apology this once. Hurry up and shrink so we can go home. Swimming this close to The Shore always makes me uncomfortable. I don’t see why you like to frequent this place.” Stiles said while looking at the desolate area around him. Rarely did merfolk and bigger sea creatures swim near The Shore. The humans disseminated what was left of the coral reef, a once thriving place of beauty and life now silent and sullen. They had covered the reef with imported toxic sand and ridden the water with boats that cut into fins when passing by. This place was a death trap. 

Chabani shrank her body to palm size and gripped on to the special necklace pouch that Stiles made for her. All she wanted was to get a better look at the strange surface fish Stiles called human. She spent hours waiting for one to swim this far. When the moon was high, one of the humans came soaring by. It’s arms and hind tentacles easily slicing the surface. This creature’s swimming was fluid like a fish, but he had no tail. Every human she had encountered thus far had two hind tentacles that rarely swam as fluid as this creature. Never had they glided or just floated on top like the birds she sometimes caught. He had even ceased to struggle when her foster Dad told her to stop. This human was special. He would be hers.

Stiles thought about his encounter with the grumpy human and why he had asked for a name. Most humans were terrified to meet Stiles. With his seven foot long tail coiling like a snake and pointed teeth, many screamed at the sight of him. Due to the Poseidon’s laws, Stiles had to erase their memories. Stiles wish that he could have spoken longer with this curious human, but the longer Stiles spoke, the harder it was to extract memories. Stiles frowned. At least he could have asked the human’s name in return. Stiles decided he would search for the human once he was cleared by his father. After all, a human with that kind of courage and beauty, Stiles wanted to see him again. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Derek woke up with a rude shaking.

“Derek, wake the fuck up!” Cora exclaimed with concern as she continued to shake his shoulders back and forth. 

Derek had not met her in the kitchen that morning for their daily run. They always met in the kitchen because he insisted they hydrate before stretching. Running was their thing. Cora waited a full ten minutes thinking that the idiot had tripped or wanted to do some pre-stretches to their stretch. As the minutes flew by, she ran upstairs to check on him. His door was unlocked so he pushed it open. To which she found a perfectly made bed and no sign of Derek. She immediately alerted the family. 

Even with a secluded beach to themselves, they knew better than to shift in broad daylight. As a result, it took them an hour to find Derek. Cora had found him asleep naked on one of the large rocks peaking from the water’s edge. He was laid flat on his back, belly up throat exposed. No self-respecting wolf would sleep in that position. It worried Cora. As she stepped to wake him, she noticed that he was covered in dried salt and prune all over as if he had spent the night in the sea. She quickly howled to alert the family, much to the dismay of Derek’s ears. 

“Cora.” Derek rasped out feeling dehydrated.  
“Good you’re finally up. I was a little worried that you had left me behind this morning. I’m glad to see that you only washed up on shore like a ship-wrecked pirate.” Cora said exaggerating each sentence. “Mom’s going to be pissed”

Talia Hale was not easily scared, but when it came to Derek, she was always concerned for his safety. Yet again, no one noticed her son missing. It made her angry that as a pack, they could not account for each other. Talia would never admit it, but Derek’s disappearance brought fear into her heart. She howled back to Cora’s alert and jogged in the direction to find her son.Once she arrived, she carefully sniffed and turned Derek over. 

“A little bruised and salty, but otherwise fine.” She said out loud. “Derek can you move?”  
Derek groaned, but slowly got to his feet. With the help of Cora, they made their way back to the main beach house.  
Cora helped her brother step up into the bath tub and helped him rinse off the salt.  
“Derek, what happened? What really happened?” Cora whispered to Derek with worry in her eyes. 

Derek remembered flashes of pale skin and sharp teeth. He remembered a boy, no a merman talking to him. He remembered Stiles.“ Stiles,” Derek said in a whisper.  
“ Stiles is what happened.” Derek said while looking Cora directly in the eyes. “ Help me get out of this tub and gather the family. I have an amazing story to tell.”

Once he was clean and fed, Derek gathered the family.  
“I think I saw a Merman.” Derek said in wonder. He could recall every moment of their unlikely encounter.  
Everyone gasped. It was a known fact that Merfolk were an exclusive people and rarely seen. The last sighting was over one hundred years ago.

“Derek, how exactly did you meet this merman?” Talia questioned. “Merfolk usually do not come close to the beach. So, how did you meet him?”

Derek looked down sheepishly. He was twenty-one, but was still under his Alpha’s rule. “I unknowingly swam far from the bank. The merman rescued me from what felt like a giant octopus’s arm.” Derek’s short statement took a moment for everyone to process. Then every member of the family burst into conversation.

“Did you get a good look at him?” His Aunt Shelly asked.  
“What color was his tail?” His little cousin Andrew asked dreamily.

From then on, the questions flowed and Derek tried his best to answer them. Derek found it odd that no one had bothered to ask the Merman’s name. Not even Cora had asked for clarification. She had probably passed it off as him being delusional and dehydrated. After what seemed like hours of interrogation, Mama Hale broke everyone up. Her excuse was that they needed to gear up for a day of snorkeling. However, she really wanted to talk more in depth with her son. Talia was no fool. A merman was the top of the food chain in the sea. Derek was lucky that he has not died last night.  
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stiles arrived at the Golden Gates of Atlantis after plopping the human as close as he could to The Shore. He swiftly entered the main gate leading to the palace. There were many ways to get into the large underground metropolis, but Stiles felt the need to announce his presence considering last night’s events. It was better to pretend that everything was fine, than for him to get caught sneaking in another way. His father had made a show of scolding Stiles in the throne room for losing his charge, Chabani, the last time she wreaked havoc. 

It surprised everyone when Chabani first shifted into a thirty-foot octopus. The Red Sea Witch gifted the orphaned Chabani to him as testimony of her alliance. The small blue speckled octopus, no bigger than his thumb, had risen out of her delicate hand to float in front of him. The octopus glowed a vibrant pink and subsequently bit his finger. 

“Oh, good. Chabani imprinted on you.” The Red Sea Witch said nonchalantly. “Feed her sea plants and fish twice a day and don’t let her out of your sight.”

Stiles looked down at the tiny thing clutching his finger. What was so great about this small octopus? All of a sudden, a deep sultry voice whispered into Stiles mind. 

“Feed me.” Chabani said as she stared at him through big iris slits. Startled, Stiles almost dropped her on the ground. The Red Sea Witch failed to mention that Chabani was a freaking telepathic!  
“Lydia said my new Daddy would feed me and take care of me.” Chabani whined her oddly mature voice. It made Stiles shiver.  
“Um, how old are you Chabani and where did the Red Sea Witch find you?” Stiles Questioned.

“Lydia said I was over a hundred years old, but I don’t know. All I remember is being alone, in a dark, dark, place.” Chabani finished in a whisper. Stiles felt bad for her so he decided to keep her. When he went outside to collect fresh seaweed, Chabani shifted into her true form, a thirty-foot tall octopus. She swept her long tentacles across a quarter of the field and proceeded to munch heavily on the heap of seaweed. 

After that day, Stiles quickly summed up, that despite her age and voice, Chabani was relatively a child. She would often wonder away and wreak havoc on the local farmers’s crop. It was hard not to miss a gigantic octopus stealing kelp and seaweed. Stiles ended up bargaining with the Black Sea Witch for a magical pouch made of Selkie skin that allowed him to detain Chabani even in her full shift. Although, he was sure that, somehow, she still was able to sneak her stolen treasure into the pouch when he slept. 

He was interrupted from his musing, by the Egg Nurse, Melissa. “Stiles.” Melissa said without any formality, “What has you so angry that the guards used their shells to warn me of a potential outburst?”  
“Chabani almost killed another human.” Stiles reluctantly admitted Melissa. “I intervened and saved this human. I also had to wipe his memories clean of the event.”

“That is not all, is it?” Melissa said knowingly. “What else plagues your mind.”

“The human was so fearless. He even asked my name. Now I can’t get his freaking face out of my head.” Stiles said with frustration. “To make matters worse, Chabani seems to have taken a liking to him. He was all she could talk about on the way here.”

“Stiles, Sweet Heart, this will pass.’ Melissa said in a comforting tone. Hopefully, Stiles would not make the same mistake she had made by falling in love with a human. It had led nowhere but to heart break and the injury of her own child, Scott. 

Stiles smiled at Melissa, but deep down he knew he would return to The Shore.


	3. King Stilinski Has Decided

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm happy to have gotten so many kudos. Here's Chapter 3. I hope you all like it!

Stiles woke up slowly, languidly, the next morning not knowing what exactly had woken him up. He groggily rolled over onto his side to make sure that Chabani’s pouch wasn’t open on the table. He sighed in relief when he noticed that it was still securely tied. Falling back onto his soft bed, he began to wonder what had woken him up.  

Suddenly, Stiles heard a loud crash outside of his door.

Rushing out of his hanging nest, Stiles made his way to the door. What event could have caused this much noise in the morning. As a prince, he was required to know all sea and ocean holidays as well as royal birthdays. He knew that today there were none. He opened his door to a very surprising and unexpected commotion. The royal dresser was on her side under a pile of clothes and his attendants were running up and down the hall franticly.

 The first thing his groggy mind supplied was that someone special must have unexpectedly arrived in Atlantis. After all, the royal dresser would never come to this side of the palace if not to fit the honorable and royal families. With that thought, Stiles quickly shut his door. He didn’t feel like dressing in heavy garments today.  He swiftly made his way to his coral stand and grabbed Chabani’s pouch. He slipped it around his neck, not even bothering to check if she was in there. Silently, he slipped out of the window in search of a faster route to the dining hall.

Stiles arrived in the dining hall to see King Stilinski dressed in traditional royal wear. He wore a deep red metal chest plate, tastefully embroidered with jewels, arm bands with the royal crest and marks of honor painted in silver, and his-what Stiles's liked to call- "special" crown reserved for royal visits. Judging by his half eaten breakfast, the king had sat here for quite a while. Stiles noticed that his father looked somewhat stressed, his fingers twiddling with the shrunken trident hanging off an enchanted braclet. Stiles coughed to annouce his presence.

When King Stilinski heard Stiles enter, he turned and cracked a fake smile. That smile could fool his subjects, but not Stiles. Stiles approached the table filled with sea cucumber, seaweed, starfish and imported freshwater trout. He quickly set aside a portion for Chabani before he untied her pouch to let her out for the day.

 

“Good morning Father. What’s all the commotion about?” Stiles asked  with fake enthusiasm.

 

The king took a moment to compose himself. “Your betrothed, Prince Isaac, is visiting the palace today.” The King said with a guilty look upon his face.

 

“What!” Stiles exclaimed. He hadn’t seen Isaac since they were nothing but guppies playing in the royal garden.  He hadn't even known they were betrothed!

 

“Certain circumstances have caused the Lahey Kingdom to insist on marrying you two this upcoming warm season. I suspect it has to do with the King’s health. Out of respect for our alliance, I agreed.” The King said as he looked directly at Stiles.

 

Stiles was livid.  How dare they decide his future without him. Despite his father insisting that he was a prince with duties to the throne, Stiles never bought into all the royalty talk. He considered himself a free merman.  He wanted to marry for love, not duty.

 

“Stiles. You are a prince. It is your duty to maintain alliances and continue the royal line. I have taken great measures to secure this marriage, son. Isaac will be here within the hour. We thought it was best for you to get to know your future partner,” Stiles father said with finality.  

 

“Melissa has mentioned something about a human catching your eye. I am forbidding the entire population from going anywhere near The Shore. I have also assigned some of our best Sharks to keep an eye on you. I don’t want any of your usual tactics,” Stiles father continued.

Stiles glared at his father. He would find a way to pursue the human.  

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stiles moved instinctively as he threw himself to the side to avoid a Shark who had tried to cut him off. He kept moving, dodging the sharp stalagmite and swimming under the large coral rocks in a serpent like manner. He could hear them, crashing into the sharp peaks and grumbling to themselves in their pursuit of Stiles. He had to give it to them- they were persistent.

Putting on a burst of speed, even though his tail was scrapped and scales were falling off, he weaved through a tightknit group of seaweed. If Stiles had not frequented this place as a child, he would have been blind by its denseness. A harsh snarl came from a short distance above him. Stiles immediately dove lower. At least then the Flathead Patrol would have a harder time seeing him.

Stiles refused to slow down, even when his favorite Shark, Malina, complained that her fin was getting too old to chase after him. With the other Sharks gaining on him, mouths wide open demanding him to stop, Stiles kept swimming. Despite Melissa’s concerns, he had to see this human. Something was compelling him to find the human. With his gills pumping and a strong flick of his tail, Stiles propelled himself into the tiny hole that led directly out of the city. Once on the other side, Stiles began towards The Shore.

 

 

Stiles surfaced the water with short, painful, gasps of air. It always hurt to suddenly break the surface. His gills were suited for sea water, but once above, they would shift to process air. Stiles looked around him. He was about one mile from The Shore and there was no sign of his human. In fact, there was no one on The Shore except for a young human. Stiles guessed that it was female. This human was tucked into itself, with her arms around her knees, head tucked, and deep brown hair falling towards the sand.

 

“ Of course he wouldn’t be here. I erased his memories,” Stiles muttered.

 

Stiles was just about to swim away when he noticed the girl looking at him. Stiles narrowed his eyes. No human would be able to see or hear him from this distance. Merfolk were generally isolated because of Poseidon’s laws, but they were not stupid.

 

“Can you hear me?” Stiles asked with suspicion.

 

Suddenly, the girl flashed golden eyes at him. Stiles knew of only two supernatural being that had golden eyes: Werewolves and Harpies. Both were deadly and moved in groups. However, Stiles was curious. With an ache in his tail, Stiles swam closer to The Shore. He stopped once his tail touched the sea floor.

 

“Obviously, I cannot come onto land. You will have to come into the water,” Stiles said with a plan. Neither Harpies or Werewolves were great in water. This was Stiles’ domain.

 

Mama Hale had warned Cora to not talk to the Merfolk—especially Sirens. However, this one seemed friendly enough. He had dark brown hair, somewhat of a baby face, and very bright brown eyes. He looked normal, but then again, so did she. Cora cocked her head to the side, listening to see if any of the adults were around. She could hear no heart beats but the creature’s and her own. She quickly shot to her feet and sprinted into the warm southern water much to Stiles’ amazement.

Cora swam until her feet no longer touched the ground. She stopped about 5 yards away from the creature, observing him up close. She couldn’t make out his tail, but she knew it was there.

 

“What’s your name, fishboy?” Cora said with a smirk.

 

“Rude. I am a formidable merman, thank you very much,” Stiles answered without pause. “My true name is unpronounceable to the likes of you. However, most people call me Stiles. What’s yours?”

 

Realization came to Cora. This was the Merman her brother had talked about yesterday. Oh, this was just great. She could not wait to tell Derek.

 “I’m the one and only Cora Hale,” Cora said a smug look upon her face.

“I’m assuming that you are the same Mermaid that my brother, Derek, spoke of yesterday.”

 

Derek. That was his mystery human’s name. Stiles took a closer look at the young girl in front of him. He could now see the similarities between them. She was pretty, but not as beautiful as Derek.

 

“ It’s impossible for the average human to remember anything about Merfolk after the memory wipe,” Stiles said with consideration in his voice. “ Since you came into the water, you can’t be a Harpy”

 

“Harpy!” Cora said with indignation while scrunching her nose.

 “I’m a motherfucking werewolf,” Cora said as she shifted into her Beta form.

 

Stiles was fascinated. The sand scrolls were hundreds of years old, completely devoid of color, and only depicted male werewolves in their beta shift. Without thought he reached out to touch her face.

 

“You have no eyebrows like in your human form! Your forehead protrudes and you have side burns regardless of gender! Truly fascinating.” Stiles said with excitement as he traced her face with his cold hands in enthusiasm.

 

“I’ve never met one of your kind. You don’t look like the people in the sand scrolls. Do you shift into a full wolf as well? Judging by your eye color, you’re a beta, aren’t you? Is Derek a beta as well? How many are in your pack. I heard you can birth humans as well. What happens if you mate with a wolf? Is there a chance for human offsprings? I have to tell Scott! He’ll never believe this!” Stiles questioned with wild hand gestures and a full tooth smile on his face.

Cora gasped at the sight of Stiles’s shark like teeth. No wonder her mother had warned her of Merfolk. She was definitely in the presence of a predator.

 

Trying to play it cool, Cora responded, “ Do you normally touch other people’s faces without permission?”

 

 “I’m sorry,” Stiles said sheepishly while backing away. “I’m just excited to meet you.”

 

“That’s okay Sharkboy, ” Cora said with a smile. “I wanted to meet the Merman who saved my brother’s life.”

“ While we are on the subject of my brother- when you swam up, you mentioned something about erasing his memory. Derek remembers everything.” Cora saud in thought.

 

“Yes. After the Pirate Poaching Period, Merfolk everywhere decided to enforce a common law: Erase the memories in which they keep or end their dreams,” Stiles said as if reciting it from a text book. “Other supernatural beings are an exception since we live in the same world. Derek should have told me that in the beginning. I would not have tried to erase his memories.”

 

“That dumbass.” Cora said with fondness in her voice. “ He just can’t get a break.I really think-”

 

They were interrupted by Mama Hale on the edge of the water. “Cora get away from that Merman this instance!” Mama Hale yelled. She shifted her eyes to get a better look at the Merman in front of Cora, but Stiles had already dipped into the water.

Cora turned back to tell Stiles that she would come back tomorrow, but he was not in sight. He couldn’t have just left her without saying goodbye! That punkass Merman. Thinking quickly, Cora ducked her head underwater to see if Stiles had hung around out of sight. As soon as she opened her eyes, she was greeted with an up close view of Stiles’s shark ass grin. Cora rolled her eyes and quickly mouthed “later” and “sun down” to Stiles.

 

“ Are you telling me to visit at Sundown?” Stiles said in return to Cora’s questionable mouthing. It looked like she was gaping like a fish out of water.

 

Cora nodded.

 

“Okay.However, I’m not coming unless you bring Derek.” Stiles said while crossing his arms over his chest and pointing his nose towards the surface.

 

Cora nodded again and swam to the surface of the water. She had to move quickly before her mother alerted the entire family. With one glance back at where Stiles had been, Cora swam towards the shore.

 

 


	4. I'm Ready To Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love reading your comments! I hope you like this chapter.

 

Isaac was relieved when his father told him he would be married to Prince Stiles of the Southern Sea this upcoming warm season. As the Northern Sea Prince himself, their alliance would make sure that Isaac never returned to this retched part of the Ocean. His father had married all nine of his siblings off to suitors twice their ages in hopes of furthering the Northern Sea’s power. He was the tenth.

When the alliances fell through, his siblings were either killed or kept as sex slaves. He had already lost three siblings to war and four to suicide. Their death scale was sent back in tiny blue clams, encrusted with their suitor’s coat of arms-a sign of war and annulment of alliances. Isaac lamented over his family and what once was.

Even his favorite sister, High Princess Lydia of the Northern Sea, could not escape their father’s sinister plan. Lydia was crowned to rule the kingdom once King Lahey retired. However, instead she sacrificed herself to keep Isaac from marrying the recently widowed King Ruskiva of the Okhotsk Sea. Without his big sister Lydia to entertain him, Isaac felt utterly alone. Her wits and laughter had distracted him from the silence of the palace. They had spent many nights scouring over the library scrolls and talking about all the things Lydia would do as Queen. She was brilliant and Isaac thought the world of her.

Now a decade later, without Lydia’s tutelage in place- Isaac was once again forcefully betrothed. This time, despite the situation, Isaac was quite hopeful about his marriage to Prince Stiles.  Isaac had heard tales of how valiant and handsome Prince Stiles had grown up to be.

He could still remember fondly holding little Stiles hand as he was tugged around the palace. Isaac was only sixteen years old at the time, but found ten year old Prince Stiles adorable. He remembered how much he wished to be as carefree as the little prince. At the time, Queen Lahey had just entered the last stage of Ick, an incurable disease that ate away at the tail. As if knowing of his sadness, Prince Stiles had dragged him around, babbling about the wonderful plants of the Southern Sea and pointing out all the ones Queen Stilinski had personally planted. Isaac thought the boy was a tad too talkative, but enjoyed his shenanigans nonetheless. Of course, Stiles had probably changed in the last decade, but Isaac hoped his future husband had retained his younger kindness.

 

A knock on the door interrupted Isaac’s thoughts.

“Yes.” Isaac drawled without a trace of emotion in his voice.

 

“Permission to enter O’ Cold One,” teased the voice at the door. Isaac smiled. He would know that voice anywhere. It was his friend and now royal dresser, Kira. No one was sure how the lean Japanese mermaid had ended up in the icy Norwegian Sea, but her kind demeanor had quickly cemented her place in the hearts of all who remained in the palace. Isaac was grateful to have at least one true friend he could confide in.

Smiling, the lean mermaid floated in, her arms stretched around a big chest. She flicked her powerful tail to shut the bedroom door. As soon as Kira closed the door, Isaac went to grab the chest out of her hands.

 

“Let me help you.” He said as he carefully maneuvered the magicked chest on to his dressing table.

 

“Be careful. Someone might find out that you actually care,” Kira said in a joking tone as she unfolded her sewing tools from her waist cloth. Shortly after his mother’s death, Isaac became known as the Ice Prince. Kira found it ironic because Isaac was the most warm-hearted merman she had ever met. Yet, she could understand his need for walls and cold demeanor. The Northern waters were seething with dishonest mermen.  

Isaac rested his tail in the fitting stone and tugged Kira’s garment over his head. Kira had done remarkable work on his courting attire. It was turquoise and made of fine Chinese Sipunculid Worm Silk. As a carrier, the gown was made to accentuate his waist and to make his tail look larger than normal. When Isaac looked down, he noticed that it split mid tail to reveal a shimmery under layer that Isaac was sure would look great when he completed his mating dance at Stiles’s coronation. Kira adorned his right wrist with his mother’s bracelet. A comfort he appreciated. The glacier diamonds encrusted on the bracelet matched the sea gems Kira began placing on his tail.

Once she was done fitting his gown, Kira walked in front of him with a slim case. She opened the chest to reveal a beautiful forehead crown. It was intricately woven with blue crystals and sapphires, his late mother’s favorite jewels. Isaac looked at himself in the mirror and smiled at Kira’s marvelous work.  He would surely seduce Stiles witch such a garment.

 

“Kira, you have-,” Isaac was cut off by the entrance of his father.

 

“Isaac, my son, are you ready to further the kingdom?” Issacs’s father said in glee as he entered Isaac’s room without permission.

 

His father gave Isaac a once over and with a devious grin said, “I hope he rips this gown right off you and fills you with child.  A treasure worth twice as much to further the kingdom with future royal treaties.”

Isaac shivered. He hoped that Prince Stiles would respect and protect him. The Northern Sea Kingdom’s shady business ranged from jewel laundering to Merfolk Trafficking and Isaac would not put it past the King to steal his own grandchild. He could not wait to be in Atlantis and away from his ill intended father.

 

* * *

 

Mama Hale was livid when she saw Cora with a merman. Flashing red eyes in anger at her daughter’s disobedience, she watched Cora swim towards her. Cora was the most disrespectful child she had ever born. The merman could have easily drowned her right then and there. She looked skyward and wondered when if her daughter would ever listen. Mama Hale knew as an alpha that she could not let such disobedience go without punishment.

 

“Coraline Madina Hale! I am the Alpha of this pack. When I command you not to speak to the Merfolk you follow my command. The water is their domain, we are landwalkers. A mermaid’s tail is as strong as our teeth- almost impossible to break or injure! Their tails are another muscle and can squeeze you like a snake,” Mama Hale said with authority and conviction. “As punishment, you are forbidden from going near the beach and will remain indoors with Nana Hale until I see fit.”

 

“But Mom, the Merman I was talking to is the one who saved Derek!” Cora objected while looking down at the sand, avoiding direct eye contact in a show of submission.

 

“As for Derek, you will shadow Derek wherever he goes.” Mama Hale commanded while looking down at her daughter. Her youngest children were prone to danger, but together, as a pack, they were strong.

She grabbed Cora’s shoulder and brought her close to her chest.

 

“I only want what’s best for you,” She said with a sigh. While keeping her hand on Cora’s shoulder, she guided her daughter towards the main beach house.

 

* * *

 

 

“ Derek. Sweetheart, pass the sugar,” Nana Hale said while licking her thumb,

 “ I think these chocolate chip cookies need a tab bit more.”

 

After the Merman fiasco, Nana Hale took Derek under her paw. Her grandcub had come close to death twice in such a short span of time. Her pack was strong and it was sad that even with so many members, their own Derek had suffered. She had coaxed him into participating in every family event, scenting him at every chance she could, and made sure that he was well fed. She worried about her little cub. Derek was the most sensitive out of her grandkids and she feared he would ruin himself with how distant he was.

 

Derek was actually enjoying himself. He had participated in every pack event, snorkeling, beach ball tournament round two, relay races, soccer, and even building sandcastles with his little cousins. Usually, he would seclude himself, but his family kept grabbing him at every turn. Derek was suspicious, but Nana was making him his favorite type of cookies so he let it go.

 

“Would you like to lick the spoon?” Nana asked with a knowing smile on her face.

 

Derek huffed before reluctantly accepting the spoon. Nana knew he liked the cookie dough, but never indulged him. He slowly licked the front of the spoon, the cookie dough soft on his tongue. He missed this.

Going away to college had left him feeling lonely. As a result of his academic isolation, Derek had taken comfort in the calls he received from Cora, Laura, and Peter over the years. Sure, it wasn’t anything like scenting or physical contact, but the calls satisfied his wolf. His Nana had called the most, telling him to trust and lean on the pack bond. She was right. The pack bonds had thrummed with support, keeping him sane.  

It took a lot of focus to study herbology. He memorized plants day in and day out. Sure, getting a degree in herbology had been the butt of the family jokes, but Nana had done nothing but congratulate him. She had grinned from ear to ear when he announced he wanted to pursue herbology, telling him how great he would be as the pack medicine man. Derek hadn’t even thought of that pack role. Medicine men and women used to be politically a pack liaison, travelling and collecting valuable plants, leaving healed wolves in their wake. He wasn’t sure he was ready to travel after spending so much time with the pack. However, he did enjoy knowing everything about the natural world. He could make any remedy from ingredients found in his backyard.

 

 

“You’re enjoying that cookie dough, aren’t you sour wolf?” Cora teased as she came through the door, pulling Derek away from his thoughts.

 

 

“You’re just jealous I got to lick the spoon.” Derek said with a small smile. He genuinely missed having Cora around. Her brazen attitude and colorful use of language, endeared her to him. It had always been easy to talk to Cora.

 

 

“Fat chance. Nana loves me just as much as you.” Cora said while sticking her tongue out and going to snatch the spoon from Derek. “Isn’t that right Nana?”

 

 

“Of course, dear. However, I gave the spoon to Derek because someone disappeared when I asked for her help at lunch time.” Nana said while pointing a wrinkled finger in Cora’s direction.

 

Derek laughed at Cora’s guilty face. She was always trying to sneak out of pack duties without anyone noticing, but they always noticed.

 

“I’m sorry Nana. I will help you tomorrow. I need to talk to this loser outside. It’s kind of important.” Cora said with an exaggerated tone. She clasped her hand around Derek’s forearm and manhandled him outside, much to Derek’s objection. After all, he was having a great time and Nana’s cookies would be done soon.

 

He followed her outside and into the forest. They walked for some time in silence. Derek was enjoying their quiet trip when Cora stopped abruptly in front of him. He looked around. It was a small clearing with a stream running through it.

Cora cocked her head to the side, listening for any of her nosey relatives. She wanted to make sure they were absolutely alone before telling Derek what had happened this morning. Once she was satisfied that no one was in the area, she nodded once and turned to grin at her brother.

 

 “You have a secret admire,” Cora said with glee, “I met Stiles today and he wants to meet at sundown.”

 


End file.
